Written by: Dallas Walsh

Mac Rockwell stands in Lydia's Rockwell's hospital room dumbfounded as he just heard his fiancé, Lydia's sister, Sabine Andrews admit that she knew that Lydia and Houston Blackmore were alive and being hostage in his mother's, Lucinda Rockwell's , basement. He can't imagine how she could have known this fact and not revealed anything to anyone.

"I don't think I understand," he manages to say back to Sabine, who is wiping her eyes dry as it has been an emotional couple of days for her. "You knew that Lydia and Houston were in my mother's basement? But you didn't say anything?"

Sabine shakes her head back to him. "I can explain," she manages to say, as they hear Lydia start to moan in her sleep.

Mac turns his attention to his ex-wife as he sees that her eyes are slowly opening. "Lydia," he gasps as he looks into her eyes. "I can't believe it. I can't believe that you're alive and that you're in front of me."

Lydia slowly removes the oxygen mask from her face. "Mac," she whispers back to him. "Thank God I'm free. Thank God…"

"Don't try to speak," Mac replies to her quickly. "You need your rest. You were found unconscious because of a fire."

Lydia nods back to him before she turns her head and sees Sabine. Lydia is about to say something when the door to the hospital room fires open and Kent Blackmore comes rushing in. "Darling," he runs to her bedside. "Oh my, it is true. You're alive! You're really here!"

Lydia smiles at the sight of her fiancé. "You have no idea how much I missed you," he says as he kisses her forehead. "God, this is just a miracle. First Houston and now you; I can't believe this."

"Believe it Kent," Lydia whispers back to him. "I'm back, and I'm never going to let you go again."

"I want to take you home and make love to you all night long," Kent looks into her eyes. "I need my fiancé back."

"There's plenty of time for that," Lydia replies to him. "But first, we have to do something. I'm glad Mac is still here because he has to take action."

"Action?" Mac asks her, coming up next to her. "What do you mean? What action do I have to take?"

"Lucinda," Lydia replies to him quickly. "She has to be arrested. I want to press as many damn charges as I can against her for keeping me in that cage for all these months. Make it happen Mac, make sure your mother pays for what she has done to me."

***

"Mom, you are spoiling me," Houston Blackmore chuckles back to his mother, Vivian Blackmore, as she comes back into his hospital room with some takeout from the country club. The last thing that Vivian wanted for her son was to be eating the hospital food, so she pre-ordered some of his favorites and had her driver go and collect it for her.

"Nonsense," Vivian puts the bag down on the tray in front of him. "I thought you were dead and never coming back; it's a miracle that you're here with me right now. I'm allowed to spoil you if I want too. Besides, you really didn't want to be eating that hospital food. The chicken and jello looked exactly the same."

Houston chuckles back to her. "You don't know how much I missed you and Dad," he admits to her. "Somedays, I really thought I would never get out of that cage."

"I still can't believe Lucinda was holding you hostage all these months," Vivian sighs back to him. "That woman is sick, and should be locked up."

"Has there been any word on her condition from the fire?"

"Not that I know of," Vivian waves her hand in the air. "And, I don't want you worrying about that. You need to focus on getting better. Let the police handle Lucinda Rockwell; I'm going to make sure she pays for what she has done."

Houston uneasily nods back to her. "I just wish I knew why she would do this to you," Vivian admits to him.

"Because," he begins to tell her. "She didn't like that I was engaged to Stacey; she refused to let her Granddaughter marry a Blackmore."

"That bitch," Vivian snaps at him. "She will live to regret this!"

"You know what though," he looks into his Mother's eyes. "I'm ready to see her. I'm ready to see Stacey. I want to see my fiancé. Can you arrange that?"

"Of course I can," Vivian nods back to him. "Anything for you, my love."

***

"I just can't believe that Mom and Houston are both alive," Stacey Rockwell admits to her husband, Marat Kafelinkov, as she lays in her hospital bed, as she is still recovering from her gunshot wound. First Mac came to tell her that Lydia was alive and well, and now Marat has told her that Houston was also being held hostage by Lucinda; she can't believe that two people she loved most in the world that she believed were dead are actually alive and well and that her Grandmother is responsible for making everyone believe that they died.

"It is certainly a surprise," Marat replies to her, secretly wondering what is going to happen to his marriage now that Stacey's beloved Houston is alive and well. "It has been a pretty emotional couple of days."

"I want to know when I can leave here," she looks into his eyes. "I want to go and see my Mom and Houston, of course."

"I don't want you to overdo it," Marat replies to her. "I know that you're excited that this miracle has happened, but you have to remember that you were just shot. You just went through this traumatic event."

Before she can reply, the door to her hospital room opens and Vivian slowly pushes a wheelchair, that Houston is in, into the room. Stacey looks over at Houston and gasps at the sight of him. Tears immediately flood into her eyes.

"It's not a dream," she says as tears flow down her eyes. "You're alive. You've come back!"

"I'm here," Houston smiles back to her as he grabs her hand. "You're just as beautiful as you've ever been, Stacey."

Marat gulps as he hears how Houston is talking to his wife. "I can't believe this is happening," Stacey admits to Houston. "I can't believe that I can touch you and talk to you again."

"I'm back," Houston smiles to her. "And, nothing will ever take me away from you again."

***

Cole moves into the waiting room of the hospital, his heart racing from all the news that Lydia and Houston are alive and well. He can't believe that all this time his Grandmother had been holding them hostage. He has no idea what she was thinking, but it is crazy to think that Lucinda had Lydia and Houston in her basement. He turns around and happens to see Celeste Baldwin walking by in the hallway.

"Celeste," he calls out to his former fiancé, causing her stop and look into the waiting room. "You're still here."

"After I heard about Lydia and Houston, I thought I'd stay in case anyone needed me," Celeste moves into the waiting room. "I can't believe it, if I am honest with you."

"I can't believe it either, but it's a miracle, you know? My Mom, she's alive."

"I know that you feel that way," Celeste nods back to him. "I'm happy for you, I'm happy for your family."

"But? You don't sound happy about it."

Celeste shrugs back to him. "Lydia was never the nicest woman to me," Celeste admits to him. "But, like I said, I'm glad that you have your Mom back."

"I'm sorry," Cole replies to her. "Here I am going on and on about how my Mom is back and I'm completely ignoring the fact that you just lost Ashlee, not to mention the baby you lost when you fell down the stairs."

Celeste bites her lower lip. "Yea, I'm still struggling to realize that I will never have my daughter back. I know that Ashlee is the reason we aren't together anymore, but I did want my child back."

"I know you did," Cole pulls her into a hug. "And, I can't tell you how sorry I am about my role in your losing Ashlee."

"I was never going to get her back," Celeste whispers back to him. "I gave her up for adoption. I had no right to ask for her back."

"I'm going to do everything in my power to make this right," Cole tells her as they look into one another's eyes. "I've realized my errors," he tells her, thinking about how Dixie Ryan overdosed in his hotel room and that the event has made him realize that he has to get off the drugs and make his life right again. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize," she purses her lips together. "We can only go forward, we can't go back."

***

"Sabine," Mac calls out to his fiancé, who appears to be leaving the hospital. He still hasn't gotten an explanation for how she could know that Lydia and Houston were alive but not say anything to anyone. He has to talk to her to clear this up because it has been weighing heavily on him. "Please, wait, we need to talk."

Sabine stops and turns around to face him. She had hoped to quickly leave the hospital so she could think of a way to explain herself to Mac about knowing what Lucinda was up too; alas, it wasn't meant to be.

"I didn't want to interrupt your reunion with Lydia," she admits to him. "I thought you and the children would want to be with her right now."

"Kent is with Lydia," he reminds her. "I had to give them some space. I wanted to finish our conversation from earlier. About how you knew that Lydia was alive and being held hostage with Houston. Why didn't you say anything?"

Before Sabine can reply, Dr. Chen approaches Mac. "I'm glad I found you Mr. Rockwell," Dr. Chen tells him. "I have news about your mother's condition."

Mac turns to the doctor and arches his eyebrow. "I was wondering when I'd get an update on Lucinda," Mac admits to him. "So, tell me doctor, where is she? Can I see her? When can she go home?"

"I'm afraid it's not good news," Dr. Chen replies to him quickly. "Your mother was unconscious in the fire for a long time before the firefighters removed her."

"So, she'll need an oxygen mask for a while."

"The brain needs oxygen," Dr. Chen replies to him. "When it doesn't, it starts to lose its ability to function. Your mother, being trapped in a room with fire and smoke…she has permanent damage."

Mac feels the wind get knocked out of him, hearing that his mother has permanent brain damage. "Brain damage? What does this all mean, exactly?"

"There's no easy way to say this," Dr. Chen tells him. "But Lucinda, she will basically be a vegetable the rest of her life. She will wake up, but she won't be able to speak or walk on her own again. I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Rockwell."

"Thank you for the information doctor," Sabine replies for Mac, who is pale as a ghost. "Mac, come sit down. You need to process this."

She takes Mac to a nearby chair and he slowly sinks down in it. "I can't believe this," he whispers to her. "My mother, a vegetable? She was such a bold, brass woman…this isn't her at all."

"I know baby," Sabine tells him as she looks into his eyes. "Can I do anything for you? Can I get you anything?"

"I need to see my mother. I need to see her," he nods back to her.

***

"You must be over the moon right now," Cole announces to Vivian, who is pouring some sugar into a coffee in the cafeteria of the hospital. He came to grab a coffee himself, and when he saw his former lover, he couldn't help but approach her. "With your son being alive and well."

"You have no idea," Vivian purses her lips together. "I was in such a dark place when I thought he died."

"I remember."

"Yes, you helped me so much in those weeks and months following his passing," Vivian looks into his eyes. "It was during that time that I fell head over feet for you."

"I know you did," Cole nods back to her. "And, I'm sorry for everything that has happened since then. I've been in a bad place myself lately, and I'm really trying to correct the wrongs I've made."

"What are you saying?" Vivian asks him, wondering if he realizes that he still loves her after all. That's why she found a child to pass off as Celeste and Marat's biological child; she wanted Cole back.

"I'm not sure exactly," he admits to her. "For right now, how about, congratulations on the outcome of the trial. It was exactly what you wanted."

"I owe it all to you," she nods back to him. "I still haven't properly thanked you, either."

Cole chuckles back to her. "No, you haven't," he winks back to her. "How about later, once things calm down here, I stop by your place. We can properly catch up?"

"I'd like that very much," Vivian tries to keep her heart rate in control, even though she can feel the heat coming off her body. "Let's say 9 ish?"

"Will Ashlee be in bed by then?"

"She certainly will," Vivian replies to him.

"Then that's perfect," Cole nods back to her as he moves closer to her and licks his lips. She can't take her eyes off him. "I'll see you at 9, Vivian."

***

"I just heard the news," Lex tells Kent, who walks out of Lydia's hospital room and sees his son. "You must be thrilled, getting your fiancé and son back in one day."

"I feel overwhelmed," Kent tells his son. "I never thought I would see the two people that matter most in my world again. And, I got them both back in one day."

"Well, just so you know, I will still manage things at Blackmore Ltd. until everything has calmed down," Lex tells his father. "We have so much on the go right now, you should take as much time as you need for everything to get settled again."

"I appreciate that," Kent nods back to him. "And, just so you know, just because Houston is back, it doesn't mean that I will push you aside at Blackmore Ltd. You and Houston are both my sons, and there is room for both of you at the family company."

Lex nervously nods his head back to him, not even thinking that he might get displaced by Houston's return. He is about to reply when Kent's cell phone starts to ring.

"Excuse me for a moment," he tells his son, who is about to walk away but something tells Lex to stay nearby. He remembers the last phone call that he overheard Kent have and he thought something might have been going on that Kent wasn't telling him. "Kent Blackmore. Yes, I know what happened. You know, you did what I asked but you failed at putting the nail in the coffin, so to speak."

Lex arches his eyebrow, wondering what Kent is talking about. He knows that this isn't the first time that he has heard Kent speak in riddles like this on the phone. He now has a gut feeling that something is going on with his father, but what could it be?

"I will have to call you back, now is not a good time," Kent says into his phone. "No, the mission is off. I think enough damage was done, don't you?"

"What are you up to, Dad?" Lex whispers to himself, now convinced that Kent is up to no good.

***

"My beautiful boys," Lydia smiles as she sits up in her hospital bed when Cole and Lex move into her hospital room. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see you."

"We are happy to see you too, Mom," Cole says as he comes up next to her and hugs her. "You being back really is a miracle."

"Yea, Mom, we can't believe that we have a chance to put everything that happened behind us. We can start fresh now," Lex tells her, as Lydia gets tears in her eyes.

"I know that I did some horrible things before the plane crash," Lydia admits to them. "But, I love you guys more than you'll ever know."

Before either one can reply, the door opens and Marat slowly pushes Stacey in a wheelchair into the room. "Mommy," Stacey lets a tear fall down her cheek. "It's really you."

"Come here baby," Lydia opens her arms and hugs her daughter. "I'm here, and I'm never going to go away again."

"I hope so," Stacey smiles as they look at one another. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Lydia tells her. "Wait a minute, what happened to you?"

"You don't know?" Cole asks her.

"No one has told me anything," Lydia replies to them. "What is it? What happened to you, Stacey?"

"I was shot," Stacey admits to her, as Lydia gasps. "I will be fine, though. Don't worry about me."

"Who shot you? Who would do that to my beautiful baby girl?"

"That's what we are trying to figure out," Marat tells Lydia. "We need to know who would to hurt Stacey."

"Well, as soon as I get out of here, I will make sure the person or persons responsible pay for what they did to you," Lydia tells her daughter before she looks back to her three child. "I'm back, and I will be the best mother I can be to you three now. Nothing will stop be from protecting my children."

***

Mac opens the door to the hospital room that his mother is laying inside of. He looks at Lucinda asleep in the small bed, with tubes running through her nose. He has never seen his mother look like this before; Lucinda has always been so well put together and strong. Seeing her in this state is a shock to Mac, to the extent that he feels his eyes swelling with water.

"They told me that you will wake up one day," he whispers to her as he moves to the base of her bed. "But, that when you do wake up, you won't be coherent. I don't know how to exactly process this, Mother."

He continues to pace back and forth, keeping his eyes on the sleeping woman in the room. "Just like I will never understand how you could have a cage in your basement of the home that I grew up in; a cage that you were keeping Houston and Lydia in, like they were some animals. I know you never cared for Lydia, but this is an unbelievable story, Mother. And now, because of the fire, we will never get answers! Do you know how unfair this is? Do you know how wrong this entire situation is? And you can't give me answers!" he says raising his voice to her. "That's the cowardly way out, you not being able to speak or defend your actions, that's not right."

He puts his head down as water fills his eyes. "Damn it Mother," he says looking at her. "I love you! I have loved you and looked up to you for so many years, how could you do this? How can this be the end of our relationship? How?"

***

"How was your time with your children?" Kent asks Lydia as he walks back into her hospital room.

"Oh darling," Lydia smiles back to him. "It was lovely. You will never know how much I had missed them."

"I have some idea," he nods back to her. "About the same as when I believed Houston was dead. I still can't believe that you and Houston were together for so long."

Lydia uneasily nods back to him as she thinks about the numerous times she and Houston had raw, animalistic sex in the cage because they had nothing better to do. She knows, however, that she can never reveal to Kent that she and Houston became lovers because it would change everything. No, that is one secret she will take to her grave.

"I'm just glad that it is behind us," she finally replies to him. "By the way, I have good news."

"Oh?" Kent arches his eyebrow.

"Right before you came in, Dr. Chen gave me my release papers. He told me to take it easy the next couple of days but otherwise, I will make a full recovery."

"That is fabulous news. Do you want me to take you home?"

"I would love nothing more," she nods back to him. "I want to go home, drink champagne, have a bubble bath and make love to you all night long."

Kent chuckles back to her. "I think that can be arranged," he winks at her.

"And then first thing tomorrow morning, I'm going to find the son of a bitch that shot my Stacey. I will make him or her pay for almost killing my daughter. I think people forgot who I am when I was believed to be dead, but I'm back. And, I will not allow anyone to come after my children like that."

Kent gulps knowing that he arranged the hit on Stacey. "Darling, let's not get worked up, okay? Let's go have our evening together. Everything else can wait, okay?"

***

A short time later, Lydia is standing in her hospital room wearing some clothes that Kent brought her. She is collecting the few personal items that she has in the hospital room as she is preparing to head home. She can't wait to have a bubble bath; all those months in the cage without a proper shower or bath have left her feeling very undesirable. And, before she makes love to Kent, she wants to try to wash any memory of her and Houston from her body. She shudders a little thinking about her and Houston being lovers in the cage.

"Well, you're going home, you certainly rebounded quickly," a voice calls out from behind Lydia. She turns around and sees her sister standing there. "I'm glad that you're okay."

"Ha!" Lydia laughs back to Sabine. "You're glad I'm okay? You're pathetic, Sabine. You found Houston and I in that basement and you did nothing. You turned and ran away!"

"I was scared," Sabine admits to her. "I didn't know what was happening. Surely, you can understand how seeing two dead people engaging in sex would be a shock to anyone's system."

"We were not engaging in sex!" Lydia shrieks back to her. "And, don't you ever repeat that again!"

Sabine arches her eyebrow. "I came here to make amends with you."

"Amends? You left me that cage to rot and die! You better watch your back, sister dear, because I'm back and I will make you pay for keeping me locked up. If it's the last thing I do, I will make you pay."

***

"Thank you doctor Dr. Chen," Marat shakes the doctor's hand, after he was just informed that Stacey was going to be released from the hospital this evening. Marat can't believe that Stacey is getting to go home so quickly after being shot, but he won't complain because he can finally put the worry behind him that his wife will able to make a fully recovery.

Marat leaves the doctor and rushes towards Stacey's hospital room eager to tell her the good news that he just got. He arrives at the hospital room and peers through the window on the door and immediately his blood pressure rise at the sight of Houston sitting in the room with Stacey. They both have smiles on their faces and they are laughing.

"She's my wife," Marat whispers to himself before he opens the door. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Not at all," Stacey looks over at him. "Houston and I were just talking. We have a lot to catch up on."

"Yea, I bet you do," Marat uneasily looks back at her. "I just saw Dr. Chen and he is releasing you! You can go home tonight."

"Really?" Stacey asks him quickly back. "I thought I'd have to be here for a couple more days."

"I wonder if you should stay here for some additional rest, you've been through a lot," Houston chimes in.

"I'd like to think that the Rockwell mansion is the perfect place to get some additional rest," Marat rolls his eyes over at Houston. "Besides, I won't let her out of my sight."

"That might be difficult, because I was planning to do the same thing," Houston stands up and looks at Marat.

"Oh really? I guess Stacey hasn't mentioned something to you."

"Marat, please," Stacey pleads with him.

"No, Stacey, we can't hide this from Houston. We all thought he was dead. We all moved on!"

"What are you talking about, exactly?" Houston asks him.

"I'm Stacey's husband; we are married," Marat smiles back to him, as Houston looks over at Stacey in shock.

***

Lex sits at his desk at Blackmore Ltd, his mind racing about what Kent could be up too. Twice now, he has overheard Kent on odd telephone calls where he was speaking about a mission. Lex can't put his finger on it, but he thinks that something is going on; something serious. Now, he just has to figure out what it is, exactly.

He stands up and moves to the bar where he pours himself a brandy. He takes a sip of it as the door to the office opens. An uneasy Brock Jennings and Tanner Young both move into the office. Neither man is giving off a good vibe right now because they are both competing for Lex's affections, but they both got messages from Lex to meet him at the office.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming," Lex puts his brandy down. "I know this is weird, but it doesn't have to be. Besides, I need your guys help with something. Do you think we can all get along and try to figure this out?"

"What do you need help with?" Tanner asks him, as he looks over to the sofa and remembers having sex with Lex there a few days earlier.

"Yea, Lex, it's odd that you need both of our assistance," Brock agrees with Tanner.

"Well, I think my father is up to something, and I need to know what it is," Lex reveals to them. "And, when I say my father, I mean Kent Blackmore. My entire future could depend on it."

Tanner looks over at Brock and he nods to him. "What can we do to help?"

"I'm glad you're able to do this," Lex smiles back to them. "Kent would know if I was snooping around, that's why I need you to do look into this for me. Work as a team and see if you can uncover what he is hiding."

"Okay cool," Brock replies to him. "We are almost like spies."

"That's exactly what it is like," Lex replies to him.

***

On her way to the hospital elevator, Lydia happens to walk by Lucinda's hospital room. She stops and peers inside, seeing Lucinda still in her coma. Lydia knows that she shouldn't move into the room, but she can't help herself. She opens the door to the hospital room and quickly moves inside.

She pauses when she sees Lucinda laying still in the bed. Suddenly, all the memories of Lucinda taunting her while she was trapped in the cage coming flooding back to her. Lydia slowly moves up closer to Lydia and sees an extra pillow laying next to her. She considers for a moment picking the pillow up and ending Lucinda's life.

"No," she whispers into Lucinda's ear. "I'm not going to kill you. Because, you see, Lucinda, seeing you suffer for the rest of your life is going to be much more satisfying for me. You will pay for what you did to me; you already are."

***

Odette Williams sits outside on a bench of the state penitentiary grounds, working on some crafts that the inmates are completing for the afternoon. They were asked to draw something that means the most to them in the world. Some people are drawing their families that they are missing; some people are drawing prized possessions; and other people are drawing places that they have visited.

But not Odette. No, she is drawing something else that means the world to her. Or, it will mean the world to her when it finally comes true. See, Odette Williams is drawing her future. And, what her future looks like in her mind.

On the page in front of her, is a large house that she is drawing. Only, the house is crumbling down. The walls are caving in; the windows are smashed and there are dead people laying on the grounds.

"Tick tock," she whispers to herself as she starts to shade in some more color. "Tick tock."

***

Cole rings the doorbell to Vivian's mansion and waits for her to open the door. He checks his watch and realizes that he is right on time to meet her tonight. Now, he just has to make sure he can get the truth from her.

"Cole, you're right on time," Vivian opens the door only wearing a short, black, silk robe that show off her long, toned legs. "Come on it."

"Thanks," he smiles back to her. "You're looking amazing tonight."

"You're sweet," she purrs to him. "Come in, I'll pour you a drink."

"I'd like that very much," he replies to her. "Ashlee is in bed?'

"Yea, she's been sleeping for hours."

"And Houston? Will he be home tonight?"

"I don't think so," she replies to him. "We will be alone."

"Perfect," he says back to her as she passes him a glass of champagne. "A toast, to you and everything you have accomplished."

"I'll drink to that," she says as they toast and then cheers one another. "Thank you for your support."

"You know I'd do anything for you," he replies to her. "I've beginning to realize that."

"Have you now?" she says putting her glass down and moving up to him. "Because, I have ways that I'd like to thank you."

Cole kisses her passionately and pulls her in closer to him. He moves his mouth to her neck and she moans out a little. "God, Cole, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," he says in between kisses. "You've done so much to get us together."

"You have no idea," she giggles as he continues to kiss her neck.

"Tell me, it will turn me on."

She looks into his eyes deeply and then kisses him passionately, caught up in the magic of his eyes. "Ashlee isn't even Celeste's daughter," she whispers back to him as their lips part before she kisses him together. "Isn't that brilliant?"

***

"You're home," Mac announces to Sabine as he moves into the living room of the Rockwell mansion and immediately pours himself a brandy. "Would you like a drink?"

"I'd love one," Sabine replies to him. "It's been a hell of a day."

"You're telling me," he passes her a brandy. "The good news is that Houston, Stacey and Lydia are all getting out of the hospital."

"But Lucinda…"

"Don't," Mac puts his hand up, not wanting to talk about his mother. "I don't want to get into that tonight. Besides we have more important things to talk about, don't you think?"

"Do we really have to go over this tonight, Mac? It's been such a long day."

"Yes, Sabine, we do," Mac replies to her. "You knew that my mother had Houston and Lydia and you said nothing. Why?"

"I'll tell you why," Lydia announces as she moves into the living room. She decided to make a quick stop at the mansion before heading to the penthouse. "She is a selfish bitch. She knew that Houston and I were in that cage and she said and did nothing! Go on, tell him sister dearest, tell me how you left Houston and I to rot in that cage."